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Newton County sets coroner salary at $51,000 for current term
Summary
The Board approved a $51,000 annual salary for the county coroner's term after reviewing statutory minimums and per-call fee options; the vote was 4-1.
On Jan. 29 the Newton County Board of Commissioners approved a $51,000 annual salary for the county coroner's current term by a 4-1 vote.
County Attorney Patrick Jogstetter briefed the board on the legal framework. He said a 2019 local act (referred to in the meeting as House Bill 619) established a statutory baseline that the Newton County coroner was entitled to at least $1,000 per year, but that the county may supplement that amount. Jogstetter also noted Georgia law provides a per-investigation payment option for coroners (discussed in the meeting as $175 per investigation when no coroner's jury is empaneled and $250 when a jury is empaneled); using recent call volumes, he estimated an equivalent annual amount of roughly $46,000 if the coroner were paid strictly on a per-investigation basis.
Commissioners discussed precedents and nearby counties. Commissioners said previous coroner salaries had been roughly $40,000 to $44,000 and that the county historically budgeted higher for coroner operations than was paid to the prior coroner. Commissioner Lindsey moved to set the coroner's salary at $51,000 for the current term; Commissioner Edwards seconded. The motion passed 4-1. The transcript does not record an explicit roll-call of individual commissioner votes; the accepted motion was recorded as passing 4-1.
Why it matters: The coroner's duties include on-call death investigations, scene responses and administrative responsibilities; commissioners cited increasing call volumes and workload as justification for a salary above the historical level.
Implementation: The board directed staff to treat the $51,000 amount as the coroner's salary for the term; the salary cannot be reduced during that term under state law, though the board may revisit compensation in future budget cycles.
Ending: Commissioners asked staff to clarify operational support and deputy arrangements in future budget discussions so the coroner has necessary assistance for on-call work.
